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New public exhibitions for proposed Quixwood Moor wind farm scheme

Updated plans for a proposed new wind farm in the eastern Scottish Borders are set to go on show to the public at two public exhibitions being held in early October.

Banks Renewables is putting forward plans for the proposed Quixwood Moor development, which would be situated on agricultural land between the villages of Grantshouse and Abbey St Bathans in Berwickshire, and having held two initial public exhibitions earlier in the year, the company is now looking for further feedback from local people on their plans for the wind farm.

Detailed proposals for the scheme are still to be finalised, but it could encompass up to 14 turbines with a maximum tip height of 126m, and would have an installed capacity of up to 32.2MW of renewable energy annually, which is estimated to meet the annual power requirements of around 21,700 homes.

The first exhibition will take place between 3pm and 8pm on Wednesday 5 October at Preston Village Hall in Preston, Duns, with the second being held between the same times on the following day at Grantshouse Village Hall in Grantshouse.

Representatives of Banks Renewables will be on hand at both events to answer any questions visitors have about the scheme and to gather feedback from them which will be used in the development of the proposal which is eventually submitted for planning permission.

Exhibition visitors will also be able to make suggestions about the sorts of new local facilities that could be funded through the dedicated community benefits scheme that would be introduced if the scheme is approved.

Phil Dyke, development director at Banks Renewables, says: “The feedback we’ve received has been used by our design team to shape the Quixwood Moor proposal, and having reduced the planned number of turbines from 19 to 14 as a result of these views, we’re now keen to get further comment from local people on the updated plans.

“We believe that the Quixwood Moor proposal represents the best option for a wind farm in the area, due to the physical characteristics of the chosen site, its position within the landscape and the capacity that it has to generate renewable energy, and have been working very hard across local communities to ensure that everyone understands the considerable benefits that it would bring to the area.”

Banks is looking to make an investment of around £43m in the Quixwood Moor wind farm, with employment opportunities being created on site during the development and construction phases of the scheme, should it be approved.

The company has extensive experience of successfully designing and developing renewable energy schemes across the UK, and has a number of schemes at different stages of development across Scotland.

Phil Dyke continues: “The Quixwood Moor scheme would represent a significant capital investment by Banks in the local economy at a time when few companies are undertaking such projects, and is estimated to produce enough renewable energy to meet the annual power requirements of around 21,700 homes.

“Employment and commercial opportunities for local firms will be created in the construction phase of the scheme, and in addition to this, the community benefits fund that would run alongside it would provide invaluable funding for local volunteer groups and good causes, thus significantly enhancing the community in which it is based.

“Power generated by onshore wind farms such as Quixwood Moor has a crucial role to play in meeting the UK’s energy generation requirements for the foreseeable future, and this is especially the case in Scotland, where the Government is firmly committed to producing all the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

“We are confident that we will be able to design a scheme that is both environmentally acceptable to local communities and capable of producing significant amounts of renewable energy, and we’re hoping as many people as possible will be able to attend these latest events, so they can access the information they need to make their minds up about our plans.”

Anyone who is unable to attend the exhibition, but who would like more information on the Quixwood Moor proposals or if you would like to express an opinion about the plans can contact the Banks community relations team on 0844 209 1515 (local rate number from a BT land line) or via quixwoodmoor@banksgroup.co.uk